Create a Happy Path for Your Life

I came across the term “Happy Path” during the UX course. “Happy path” is a user journey, at each step, makes the person feel happy. As cliché as it sounds, the idea makes sense. Whatever products you create, you want to bring value to your users. You want them to be happy!

TL;DR:

In this post, you can design a happy path for your life; simply by creating a system that tailors to you. You can create a happy life by reflecting, working smart, building systems and calibrating your life regularly. Prioritise yourself first.

Content

What is a Happy Path?
Is it critical to create a "happy path"?
How to design a happy path for your life?

1. What is a Happy Path?

The happy path is what happens when the user does everything exactly the way you expect them to. It is a journey that, at each step, makes the user happy.

2. Is it critical to create a "happy path"?

Each step of the happy path brings users joy. You have to implement best practices to create these paths and eliminate frustrations. When your users meet with an unhappy path, not only will the users have a bad experience, they might turn to your competitors. It's no surprise that you just lost a customer.

Now that you have a better understanding of what a happy path is, I wonder if we could apply this concept to our life? Will we be able to create a happy path for ourselves?

3. How to design a happy path for your life?

I wonder if we could potentially design a happy path for our life. If we go to the root of the issue, we have to know ourselves inside out.

1. Know Yourself

What do I mean by knowing yourself? Here are some questions that can help you to answer this question.

What is your goal in life? What do you want to achieve at the end of this lifetime?
What are your core values?
What is the identity that you wish to build for yourself? Would you feel lost if your identity is stolen/missing/removed when you retire?
What is your personality?

All of us have different unique experiences. Our perception of you is different from how you view yourself. Ideally, you want these two images to be as similar as possible.

2. Reflect Regular

I suggest that you try reflecting by journaling or meditating regularly to clear your mind. I journal and meditate before I go to bed. Journal helps to clear my mind, while the quality of my sleep improves after I meditate.

I journal every other day. I journal to reflect on my daily life. These are some of the questions that I like to ask myself whenever I journal:

What are the three things that I am grateful for today?
What are the things that I could continue doing that will lead to an improvement in my life?
What are the things that I am doing that are self-sabotaging myself? How do I improve from here?

It sounds like I am practising self-love here. However, these questions did help me to be better aware of my behaviour. I can see my behaviour patterns. The whole purpose of a journal is to have a conversation with yourself. Be honest with yourself, and you might gain some enlightenment about yourself. It is like shadow work.

Sometimes you would need to sit down in a quiet space all by yourself and reflect. You might be able to uncover parts of yourself that you are hiding from yourself.

3. Work smart towards your dream.

What do I mean by work smart? You know how everyone is advocating for working hard. Sometimes working hard is not a solution. Sure, it will get you somewhere! However, there are times you need to work smart.

For example, you are digging for gold. If you realise that you are digging in the wrong direction (or hole), would you stop or continue? Smart workers cut their losses and move on. Hard workers might dig even harder hoping to shift in the correct direction or find some treasure. Sometimes, it is more important is to fail fast. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

By working smart, you are always looking for effective and efficient ways to complete one or multiple tasks while also managing time and quality.

4. Build a system to support your happy path.

Now that you know what makes you tick, it is time to create a system that tailors to your situation.

For example, I recently signed up for the Google UX Design Professional Certificate. After I signed up for the course, I created a timetable and input all my commitments. It is crucial that I manage both my time and energy wisely! Hence, I would need to build a system base on all the factors. In this case, I choose to set up my calendar. I have been using the “calendar blocking” system for two years now. It has helped me a lot! If I do not see the activity on my calendar, it is not a priority!

Hence, if you are in a similar situation, you can consider having a timetable. Alternatively, if you are a night owl, studying at night might work better for you.

5. Repeat the above four steps and recalibrate.

Although you are designing a happy path for your life, life happens. You will change! You can repeat the above four steps and reflect on what did not work. Maybe the above steps do not apply to your situation at all! Recalibrate yourself, and work out something that can create a better system for yourself.

In the real world, you will come to a plethora of other paths. You may not be on the happy path 100% of the time. It is alright to feel certain emotions. We are human. Life is always a work in progress. Things may change, and you may need to reintroduce a new system to your life. The number 1 UX principle is - Prioritise your user’s needs. Listen to yourself (and your body), and enjoy the journey.

x, Esther